Unexpected Prize
by Jedipati
Summary: Barbossa and his crew are stalking Medallions, when Barbossa gains a greater prize.


Potcfest

Unexpected Prize

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters and very little of the plot.

Characters: Barbossa, Pre-CotBP Crew of the _Pearl_

Author: jedipati aka immortaljedi

Rating: PG

Summary: Barbossa and his crew are stalking Medallions, when Barbossa gains a greater prize.

Author's note: For the **potcfest** on livejournal prompt #86: Barbossa, backstory for how he became a pirate lord.

* * *

Captain Hector Barbossa of the _Black Pearl_ smiled fiercely as his ship slid through the waters off the coast of Portugal as easily as a knife slid through a man's gut. Barbossa had made the decision to temporarily abandon his normal haunts in the Caribbean when it became clear that one of the Aztec Medallions he and his crew were searching for wasn't leaving this area.

The closer they got to the medallion, the more Barbossa was sure that there was more then one. He hadn't mentioned this to his crew, unwilling to get their hopes up.

"Sail!" It was Ragetti who saw the ship. Despite the fact that the stupid pirate wore a patch over an empty eye socket, he was their best lookout. "North by Northwest!"

Barbossa turned to scan the horizon in that direction. After a moment, he found the ship. He pulled out his spyglass to double check, and then smiled grimly as he recognized the flag flying above the other ship. It was Captain Winters' ship, the _Deadly Nightshade_.

This would be a hard fight. But it was a necessary one.

"Look alive you laggards!" Barbossa shouted. "Run up the colors, get ready for a fight!"

The crew exploded into movement. The flag went up and spread out in the wind.

Barbossa smiled as he looked up at the skull and crossed swords. "Mr. Twigg, keep us on course," he told the helmsman. Then he looked at his crew. "Our target is the _Deadly Nightshade_!"

Several members of the crew looked at him in shock, but he scowled at them. "Aye, the _Deadly Nightshade_, now get back to work!" Captain Winters was considered one of the most ruthless pirates in the world, but that didn't excuse their reactions.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Bo'son asked.

Barbossa sneered. "We are indestructible, or d' ye not remember? Winters can't beat us no matter what he tries. An' he has a medallion, Winters never surrenders any treasure he takes. So we will have ta fight."

Barbossa watched as his crew went about their business. After he was sure that Pintel and Ragetti wouldn't mess anything up, he turned his attention to the other ship. By this point, the other crew had noticed him, and as he pulled out his spyglass, he could see their frantic preparations. The other crew was also trying to get away, but they'd soon learn that there was no outrunning the_ Pearl_.

Barbossa glanced to the port side, where part of his crew was waiting in a longboat for the ship to slow enough that they could enter the water and make their way to the starboard side of the _Nightshade_. With all attention on the _Pearl_, they would be able to board the _Nightshade_ easily. Captain Winters wouldn't expect an attack from that direction.

That would give them an advantage.

He leaned forward as he noticed something. "They've stern chasers!" he shouted just before he heard a cannon fire. The shot missed horribly- Barbossa could see the splash where the cannon ball landed, far to port and ahead.

"Set fore and main topsails!" Bo'son yelled. "Get us in range!"

Barbossa nodded. His monkey jumped onto his shoulder and chattered at him. "Thank ye, Jack," he drawled.

Then they were in range. "Starboard guns, fire!" he shouted.

The other crew no doubt thought that this would come down to firepower. And the _Pearl_, while armed as much as possible for a ship of her size, was smaller than her opponent. Barbossa cackled again. More than one opposing captain had made that mistake, for the _Pearl_ was no ordinary ship.

And even if the _Pearl_ was destroyed- if the _Pearl_ could be destroyed- he and his crew could simply take over the _Nightshade_.

Barbossa nodded to Bo'son, who smiled back. The bigger man turned and started barking orders. Barbossa leaned casually against the rail, even as cannon fire echoed around him. This ought to rattle the other crew, seeing him so nonchalant.

He glanced to the port side, but the longboat was gone. Barbossa waited for the shouts he knew were coming. For now, the _Pearl_ simply had to withstand the barrage from the _Nightshade_, and give as good as she got.

And he knew she could handle it without failing. There were times that Barbossa thought that the curse had settled on the _Pearl_, not just her crew.

Barbossa ducked reflexively as something whipped past him. The cannon ball landed in the water behind him with a splash.

Then he heard the several shouts from the _Nightshade_. He grinned maliciously. Finally! A few members of the crew of the _Nightshade_ had turned to face the boarders, and more of them were no longer paying attention to the _Pearl_.

"Ready Grapples!" he ordered the crewmen on deck. "Take no prisoners, save for Captain Winters! I want the medallion!"

The ensuing fight was brutal, but the _Nightshade_'s crew soon learned that their opponents couldn't be harmed. That seemed to frighten them even more then the sight of the _Pearl_ itself.

Barbossa laughed as his crew overpowered and killed most of the other crew.

The rest of the _Nightshade_'s crew, apparently realizing that they would receive no mercy, rallied around Captain Winters and the ship's wheel.

Barbossa sneered at them, and then at his crew, who couldn't seem to get past the defenders.

Captain Winters managed to gain some breathing room and turned to face the Pearl. "Come and fight, cowardly captain! Or do you merely let demons do your fighting?"

Barbossa smirked at him. "My crew c'n handle themselves, but if ye insist…" he grabbed a rope and swung over. He'd not been challenged like this for years, not since he became captain of the _Pearl_.

Barbossa had barely landed on the _Nightshade_ when Winters was on him. Barbossa stumbled back, trying to regain his balance, but he was able to block the blows Winters was aiming at him. It was a glorious fight, going back and forth across the deck, neither captain gaining the upper hand.

Around them, both crews had stopped fighting to watch. "Get them, you bilge rats!" Barbossa yelled, as soon as he noticed.

He didn't have time to watch and make sure his crew actually took care of the rest of the _Nightshade_'s crew, because Winters was an incredibly good swordsman.

Finally, Barbossa managed to hook the other captain's sword and pull it out of his hand. The other captain surrendered. "You are going to kill me," he said.

"Eventually," Barbossa replied. He kept his sword under Winters' chin as he glanced around the _Nightshade_. "Search the ship," he ordered. "We'll take everything, but find the medallion first.

He returned his attention to Winters. His crew was dead, he was at held at sword point, and he refused to look away. "You are a pirate," Winters said. "And not one I know."

"Hector Barbossa, captain of the _Black Pearl_," Barbossa said, mockingly offering a half bow.

Winters, surprisingly, grinned. "I see. A man hell itself spat back out. And it seems you can command demons. Then, since I see no way to survive, you might be worthy."

Barbossa blinked. "Worthy of what?"

Winters grinned and glanced to the side. None of Barbossa's crew was close enough to watch them. He shifted. "Let me get it out," he said. "I must give this to you."

Barbossa backed away slightly, but kept his sword out. Winters reached down into his coat, and pulled something out of a hidden inner pocket. "Take it," he said. "It's one of the nine pieces of eight that bound Calypso into human form."

Barbossa reached down and held it up. It was an old wooden eye. "This is one of the nine pieces of eight?" he asked skeptically.

"Appearances aren't everything," Winters said with a smile. "I am the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea."

Barbossa rolled the wooden eye around in his hand for a moment before placing it in his pocket. "No longer." He glanced to the side. Bo'son lifted his hand, signaling that they were ready to go. "I thank ye, though, for ye've given me something I've long hoped for."

He stabbed down almost negligently and pulled his sword out. Then, even before Winters was truly dead, he turned and headed toward the _Pearl_. "Did ye find the medallion?" he asked.

"Better," Bo'son said. "He had ten. He was collecting them."

Barbossa grinned and fingered the wooden eye. "Then we will call this a most profitable trip." He walked the gangplank back to the _Pearl_. "Insure that the _Nightshade_ is destroyed. Set course back to the Caribbean."

"Aye, Captain."

Barbossa nodded. He had some thinking to do. He was now a Pirate Lord, and he needed some way to keep his Piece of Eight safe.

He turned as he heard Pintel and Ragetti arguing. For a moment, he just watched them. Then he nodded once. He'd call Ragetti into his cabin later. The other pirate would make a good carrier of the Piece.

* * *

I do hope you all enjoyed this little tale. As always, thanks go to arquenniel for the beta. Any mistakes are mine, and not hers.


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